


realisations

by pouncival



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: M/M, Other, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 13:15:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10491693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouncival/pseuds/pouncival
Summary: Jack Kelly fell in love not once, but twice. that makes him TWICE as gay right





	

Jack Kelly remembered the first time he realised he was in love.

Up on the rooftop, staring at the sky. Or at least, Crutchie was staring at the sky. Jack was staring at Crutchie.

They’d been boyfriends for a few months now, ever since Jack had awkwardly kissed him and Crutchie had laughed then kissed him back. Everything felt the same, their close friendship where they talked for hours on end, but now their hands were intertwined and they kissed sometimes. Okay, they kissed a lot- but that was absolutely nothing to complain about.

That night, they lay on the roof and held hands, talking about everything and nothing. As usual, the topic of Santa Fe came up. But while Jack talked about his dream of a city, Crutchie laughing and smiling along, Jack realised something.

He didn’t want to leave Crutchie behind. The thought of his life without Crutchie- it wasn’t something he could imagine. Crutchie looked up when Jack faltered, a look that said ‘are you okay?’ on his face.

Jack nodded, shaking the thought from his mind.

The next morning, when the subject came up again, Jack brought it up.

“If you want, I bet'cha you could see it, too.”

Crutchie smiled and laughed, until he realised Jack was serious when he told him no one would worry about his leg in Santa Fe.

“Picture me, ridin’ in style.”

Jack took that as an I love you too.

***

Jack Kelly remembered the second time he realised he was in love.

It hard been dark and lonely, with Crutchie in the refuge. It was the return of that deep, dark depression Jack knew so well. The idea that Crutchie was hurt, and it was his fault, tore into him. The image of Crutchie not even being able to make his way from his bed to the window in the refuge, and the pained look he gave Jack, haunted him. He clutched the letter tight in one hand, and a paintbrush in the other, escaping the only way he knew how.

That’s how he learnt that Davey Jacobs was, along with smart and brave and handsome, a stubborn piece of shit. He’d stormed into the theatre, where Jack was trying to escape from everyone. He’d rambled about being above the fold, counting on Brooklyn next event. When Katherine and Les had stormed in, Jack had gotten fed up.

“For cryin’ out loud, what does a fella gotta do to get away from you people?”

And Davey had said simply, “Ah, there’s no escaping us, pal. We’re inevitable.”

Those words stuck. Davey was inevitable, and he was never going away. Something about that comforted Jack.

There was still convincing to be done, but eventually Davey wore Jack down. His way with words, twisting Jack’s to work for him, and using what he knew Jack cared about to convince him- Jack was always impressed.

Jack wasn’t sure why he was so comforted by Davey, why it was so easy for him to convince Jack to his way of thinking. He had thought, or rather hoped, it was just strong friendship.

But then he found himself with Pulitzer, threatening to hurt Crutchie and Davey, or the strike. Both of them, and Jack, had put so much into this. They believed so strongly in the strike, and how it could help every newsboy in New York- no, across America. They wouldn’t want him to choose them over the strike. But his hands shook and eyes watered at the idea of anyone hurting them.

That night, he lay on the cold, hard, printing press, and he considered a lot of things. The options Pultizer had given him were swirling in his mind, but he couldn’t answer that without admitting to himself that he was, in fact, in love with two people. The two people who meant the most to him in the world. And Pulitzer was threatening to hurt them.

He could fix up the strike’s problems later. But he couldn’t ever be responsible for putting Crutchie and Davey through even more than they’d already been through. 

In Jack’s mind, the decision was already made.

**Author's Note:**

> i forgot to post htis one woops!!!


End file.
